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Friday, 5 June 2015

US Senator John McCain said that the increasing frequency of cyberattacks on the United States should prompt Congress to pass cybersecurity legislation without delay.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The increasing frequency of cyberattacks on the United States should prompt Congress to pass cybersecurity legislation without delay, US Senator John McCain said in a statement on Friday.

"It is long past time for Congress to finally pass legislation that allows for the sharing of information on cyber threats," McCain said.

McCain's comment came in response to the latest cyberattack that breached the networks of the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

On Thursday, the OPM announced a cyberattack has possibly compromised the personal data of up to four million current and former US federal employees.

McCain urged Congress to pass the cyber-security legislation that was passed the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence earlier this year. The legislation allows information sharing between the public and private sectors on cyber-threats.

Media reports citing unnamed US officials said Chinese hackers were behind the attack. The Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC denied the charges.

Referring to reports of Chinese involvement, McCain said that if allegations are correct, the cyberattack "joins an already lengthy and well-documented record of Chinese intellectual property theft and cyber-espionage against the US government and American companies."

The OPM is a US federal agency that handles job applications, manages pension funds and issues security clearances.